Recent Posts
Posted by Joel Marion on July 3, 2009
19 Comments
As I mentioned in my email yesterday, I’m currently down in Florida doing a little business and catching up with friends for the 4th of July weekend.
And with good old “Independence Day” around the corner, I’ve been thinking a lot about one word:
Freedom.
I know, I know, you thought it was going to be “burgers”, and in all fairness, that probably comes in at a very close second.
But back to freedom.
Yes, we live in a free nation. Yes, we can stay out to 3 o’clock in the morning on a week night if we so choose. And yes, we can park wherever we want in South Tampa and get our car towed at said time only to pay a total of $185 (cash only) to some guy with a foot-long beard who immediately placed the money in his pocket.
Yes, in America, you can do all of these things. Just ask my buddy Ryan Magin.
But, here’s the real question: are YOU living free?
Seems like a dumb question if you live in the U.S. or another quote-unquote “free” country. But here’s the truth — I see a lot of people living in captivity everyday.
Let me explain.
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Posted by Joel Marion on June 24, 2009
75 Comments
I’m just getting back from busting my butt in the gym with some Insider Contrast Training!
Insider wha?
Have no fear, I’m about to GIVE you all the details in today’s blog post.
The Technique: Insider Contrast Training
Where it came from: Insider Contrast Training was developed by French sport scientist Gilles Cometti and popularized in the western world by my good friend and Canadian strength Coach Christian Thibaudeau.
What it is: Insider Contrast Training is a unique method in which a particular training variable is manipulated during the course of a set.
Below are two of my favorite Insider Contrast Training protocols:
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Posted by Joel Marion on June 10, 2009
132 Comments
In yesterday’s post we discussed the counterproductivity of using coffee as a focus or productivity aid during times in which our bodies really just need to “unplug”.
We also mentioned yesterday that every so often (perhaps once every hour or two) throughout the work day we experience a lack in focus and concentration. This is our body’s natural way of telling us “hey, take a break and recharge”.
So what do you do to “recharge”? Grab a cup of coffee? Hopefully by now you see that going that route is essentially the exact opposite of what your body needs.
If you really want to increase productivity, especially during times where mental concentration seems to be lacking, try using some of the strategies I provide below instead of refiring your nervous system (you’ll see that these tactics actually strive to achieve the opposite).
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Posted by Joel Marion on June 9, 2009
242 Comments
Yesterday I spent the bulk of my day sitting in the “coffee shop” area of Barnes and Noble plugging away on client programs and a couple of other “big things” I’ve got up my sleeve in the coming weeks.
Apparently if you’re working on a laptop at Barnes & Noble your cool points instantly jump by a factor of 3.7, which is essentially why I pay the additional $20 a month for AT&T Wi-Fi despite having plenty-o-internet and two other computers in my home office.
Okay, that’s not entirely true. Granted, I’m all about looking cool, but the fact is I can’t seem to get ANYTHING done at home lately, so I’ve been somewhat of a work-nomad for, well, about a year now (I suppose that goes a little beyond “lately”, sorry).
Nevertheless, I always seem to run into interesting people wherever I’m at.
For instance, just the other week these two guys were sitting behind me with about 17 books laid out in front of them talking about SPIDERS.
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Posted by Joel Marion on June 4, 2009
202 Comments
I know, I know…I said I wasn’t going to be back until tomorrow with Method #2 for building muscle and losing fat (Anabolic Burst Cycling), but after the reaction to my inclusion of a McDonald’s Double Cheeseburger wrapped in lettuce as part of my sample meal plan yesterday, I couldn’t help myself.
Do You Believe Everything You Read?
Did you know that McDonald’s is the world’s largest purchaser of cow eyeballs? Yes, cow eyeballs.
Also, if you spin around 7 times in your bathroom with the lights off chanting “Bloody Mary” the half sister of Elizabeth I will appear and KILL YOU.
I know. I have done this.
And, of course, spraying Listerine around the vicinity of your back yard keeps the mosquitoes, particularly those with malaria, out of site for…like…at least 5 years.
As Ben Stiller would say, “I read about it… in a BOOK”
Or maybe on the internet.
Either way, it has to be true.
Back to the cow eyeballs. Seriously? Let’s think about this logically.
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Posted by Joel Marion on April 23, 2009
1,109 Comments
I’m going to make this post extremely quick and easy.
To enter to win one of THREE copies of Cheat Your Way Thin that I’m GIVING AWAY today, simply reply in the comments section below this post (reply form is at the bottom of the page) with the following information:
In 250 words or less, I want you to tell me exactly why this program is the perfect program for you at this point in your life. Tell me WHY you NEED access to this information.
Again, please keep your reply less than 250 words, and please, leave finances out of your reply. This program (via the less than half price pre-sale) will be affordable for literally anyone who wants access to it. Anyone.
So, again, leaving the financial stuff out, I want you to tell me, based on everything you’ve learned about dieting over the last 6 updates, why this program is the perfect fit for you.
I will go through the replies early tomorrow and notify the winners via email later in the day.
NOTE: THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.
Good luck!
Joel
Posted by Joel Marion on April 8, 2009
29 Comments
Anyone who knows me knows I love food.
Love it.
And when my cheat days roll around, I take full advantage.
So last Saturday (my cheat day) I took a trip over to one of my favorite restaurants—T.G.I. Friday’s—for a late night meal.
Wasn’t quite sure what I was in the mood for, but the ribs caught my attention at first glance.
Then I took a little closer look at the menu.
If you’ve been to Friday’s semi-recently, then you know they have a whole section of the menu dedicated to entrees smothered in the Jack Daniel’s BBQ Invitational winning BBQ sauce.
What you may not know (and I didn’t at the time either) is that the guy behind that sauce, and Jack Daniel’s invitation winner is a Body Transformation Insider member and previous client of mine – Chad Hayden.
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Posted by Joel Marion on April 5, 2009
306 Comments
Previously, I made a short and sweet post that was very well received (hundreds of comments and counting) called The Best Diet Tip EVER.
In that tip, we talked about the simplest way to avoid temptation and cravings—don’t have it in the house.
Simply put, if it’s not available, it’s not a temptation.
But today’s tip digs a little deeper.
Did you know that even “healthy” foods can be a problem for some people? There are certain foods—and it’s an individual thing—that once you start eating them, it’s very hard to stop.
For me, it’s pasta. Sure, I’ll cook the whole wheat variety and sit down to a “healthy” meal, but unless I specifically portion out the amount I’m going to eat, I can easily end up downing half the box or more.
You see, if I’m not careful, “healthy” can easily turn into a massive calorie overload sent straight to my waistline.
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Posted by Joel Marion on March 29, 2009
29 Comments
It’s been a great first month at Body Transformation Insider with nearly 900 comments on 13 posts!
And for that, I thank you.
It’s your comments and interaction that make this place a full-blown “party” with each post, not just a simple blog.
So today, I’d like to share with you the “best of” posts of this month (based on # of comments and # of views). You see, you actually picked the top posts “behind the scenes” without even knowing it!
Most commented (124 comments): Late Night Eating: DO IT.
Most viewed (5,723 views): The Full SUPER Supersets Workout
Other posts from this month:
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Posted by Joel Marion on March 20, 2009
70 Comments
Yesterday I was having one of those days. You know, the type of day where everything seems to be out of whack and a hundred inconveniences seem to jump out of nowhere.
We all have them. They’re part of life.
The icing on the cake, though, came later in the day when I got a flat tire.
And of course it was rush hour.
And of course it was on a major highway.
So there I was on the side of the road, annoyed, attempting to change my tire in the midst of hundreds of cars whizzing by me at 70 mph.
And then I realized something.
I was letting the day’s circumstances−circumstances that were completely out of my control−get the best of me. It was affecting my energy, and that’s something that I really try to avoid.
So, I put down the tire iron, got back in the car, turned on the radio and started to breathe.
You see, a long time ago I learned the value of using controlled breathing from a martial arts instructor friend of mine. Now, you may be thinking “Yeah, okay…controlled breathing…Tai Qui…oogly moogly” and you know what, that’s exactly how I looked at it once, too.
But then I gave it a try. And it works.
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Hey, it’s Joel! So you want to know a little more about me, huh? Well, I’d be happy to oblige :-)
I guess it all started back in 2001 (my freshman year of college) when I was just a “skinny fat” 19-year old kid. At the time, I was spending close to 2 hours a day in the gym (now my workouts last about 30 minutes), and despite my efforts, you’d probably never guess I worked out a day in my life by looking at me...